Gentex first co-op
Derek
Experience Information
Employer: Gentex
Job Title: Production Support
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
Gentex is an automaker's part supplier for mirrors. The mirrors that are designed and manufactured rely on technology and innovation rather than producing simple commodities. What Gentex's mirrors are most well known for is their ability to automatically dim (rather than be flipped by the user) when headlights are detected from behind and ambient light conditions are low. They also offer additional products built into the mirror such as rear camera display, Mobileye (a driver assist system), and Homelink. Gentex recently began building windows for aircrafts that use the same auto dimming technology as the mirrors, which replaces blinds in some models of airplanes. Gentex is headquartered in Zealand, Michigan, and all of its engineering staff and production is done locally. They are also unique in their ability to do almost every step of the process in-house. This includes the coating, cutting, and bending of the glass, chemical synthesis of epoxies and electrochromic dimming fluid, and populating PCB's.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
In my role at Gentex, I was able to work on many different projects and in several settings. Some of my projects were designed work and solid modeling. Other times, I did more hands on building of projects. As the co-op continued, I began to develop more of a leadership role, and was given the freedom and responsibility to help with some issues on the production line. While working in the process engineering department, many of my projects were related in nature. I designed and modified flow racking which presented material to the operators in ways that would speed up production and not damage parts. Similarly, I also designed fixture storage within the production lines that would allow for faster change-over times, cleaner lines, and less damage to fixtures. Many of my projects also focused on modifications to machines and revisions to their documentation which would fix a problem seen within production.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
In terms of technical skills gained, I became much more proficient with CAD and solid modeling than I had been before. I also practiced the design process as well as quality control and troubleshooting techniques on a daily basis. The largest bit of knowledge I gained from this experience was being able to see how engineers fit into a company. I learned how engineers who work on the production floor can see flaws and difficulties in production, and how both machine and product design have huge effects on this. I saw how different departments all come together to support the efforts of any project or task. I also learned a lot about the business and economic aspects of engineering. I learned about how small factors add up to have large impacts, like failed mirrors and scrap parts or seconds taken off production time for each mirror. I became better at communicating with other employees and utilizing many techniques to solve problems.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part was the learning curve at the beginning. I learned countless things in many different ways and about many different aspects of the company. What made all this learning so enjoyable is that it was related to and reinforced the learning I have done while pursuing my degree at Grand Valley. I really enjoy Grand Valley's engineering program, and to finally be in a workplace that allows me to use some things I've learned and to learn more information at what seems to be a much faster pace than schooling alone is very satisfying. I still enjoy learning surprising new things about the company, product, and any engineering related bit of information, and the experience during this coop has made me feel much more prepared for the rest of school and for my future career afterward.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
Gentex does a very good job of running their business, and though things don't always go perfectly as planned, the bottom line is always to do good, quality business. This mentality that I have been fostered in while working there has helped me realize what is important in a company and what aspects of an engineering job I want to have in the future. Gentex also has many opportunities for different engineering roles within the company, both from the standpoint of separate disciplines of engineering as well as different roles within the manufacturing process of a mirror. And so even though I may not have decided what a really good fit engineering job is for me, I am trying to gain as many different perspectives and experiences of the different engineering roles at Gentex to see which one I like best.